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Political failings

[Re: Fantasy economics: Nationalising RBS would be an epic nightmare, Friday]
It’s worrying to think that, even after sub-prime, politicians are still calling for RBS to be nationalised. They are either playing to the electorate (the vast majority of which will argue that anyone in finance is immoral) or they are totally bereft of any intelligence.

Ike Nwobodo

We need supply-side reforms, but our political class seems to share, or be hamstrung by, the populist view that stimulating demand (in other words, government intervention) is the solution. Sadly, anything else is beyond the horizon of most politicians.

Richard O’Fee

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Contract policing

[Re: Forget G4S: The UK is hosting the safest Games ever, Friday]
David Livingstone touches on an very important issue we need to resolve. Although the military has proven highly successful at maintaining security, it was not meant to be needed. Somehow G4S’s contract was poorly managed. The issue is not just about Olympic security, it’s about the broader ability of public officials to monitor and effectively police the tasks they outsource to the private sector. While cheap and efficient public services can very easily be provided by private companies, the taxpayer will continue to lose money if there aren’t the right processes in place to ensure they work.

Michael Carson

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TOP TWEETS
UK viewing of London 2012 beat the whole of Beijing in the first six days alone. 45.4m have watched at least 15 minutes.
@rogermosey

Breaking news: George Osborne and David Cameron are disqualified from politics for deliberating trying to lose the next election.
@mattpearson

Nationalising RBS would be utter madness. Which sane person would want a return to unsustainable levels of lending?
@haroonharry

Huge pro-Boris enthusiasm from Tory MPs this week. I may exaggerate, but sometimes I think he’s the new Ronald Reagan.
@jreynoldsMP